Any interview tips?

Question

I have an interview tommorow and would love to get the job. Problem is I get nervous at interviews and can freeze up sometimes...

Worst I hate to hold eye contact so this together with freezing on what to say I reckon I look a bit dodgey. Some help please and any interview tips most welcome! Thanx in advance!

Answer 1

Explain at the start that you are nervous - it's honest and interviewers do understand and make allowances.
Now, to the eye contact thing, which I suspect is what is really worrying you. Sit upright, hands on your lap, head up. You look confident. Remember that the interviewer is a human being, just like you, with worries, concerns, and also - this may surprise you - they may be nervous about meeting strangers too. Surprised? Well, just because they're the other side of the desk doesn't make them super-strong or anything, so they are also a little concerned about the impression they're giving. Smile when you look at the interviewer - he/she will automatically smile back, it's a natural response. Now, when you reply, smile again - you will find that the interviewer will continue to smile when asking you questions (try it on a friend - if you smile at a stranger, most times they will smile back - it's just nature). Now, you are in a room with someone who is smiling at you and who is already starting to bond with you - that's what smiling does. Relax, they're halfway to becoming a friend. And then, in the interview, just be honest about what you can and can't do. If you can't do one of the things they ask for, reply "well, I'm not familiar with that at the moment but I'm a very quick learner".
I know it's easy to give these tips - I've interviewed many people, and been interviewed myself many times. A smile doesn't get you the job, but it gets you about half way there.
Good luck, hope it turns out all right for you.

Answer 2

A great piece of advice I was given years ago was when you are asked a question and you have no answer instead of trying to ramble or just sit in silence just pause for a moment and ask if you can come back to that later. It also helps to do a little research into the company so you can ask a question at the end of the interview. If you cannot obtain info on the internet ring the reception and just ask them one or two questions. It is ok to be nervous but just relax and don't forget to breathe.
I usually take a folder or notebook in with me so when I feel a bit nervous I can glance down at it so they don't think I cannot look at them. Just make eye contact for a couple of seconds just enough time for them to notice you. If you have more than one person interviewing make sure you also give them a glance now and again

Answer 3

The best way to crack an interview is...believe you are the best suited for the job.! Confidence can come from you knowing the job, the key skills required and the company and their culture, so prepare in advance and do your homework. The first few questions in any interview will be icebreakers..which will just probe into what kind of a person you are.... last but not the least...eyecontact is important...you need to work on it...as lack of eyecontact might send out vibes that you are lying ..though you arent..!!! Good Luck..!!!

Answer 4

Eye contact is so very important. Keep breathing under control, try and relax. Remember, everbody has butterflies in there tummy during feelings of tension or excitement in situations like this. The art is to try and control them so that they fly in formation!!! The extra adrenalin produced by the body will speed up your reactions but make sure that you think carefully before answering in a rush. For the future, join a public speaking group such as the ASC. They will help you to overcome this for the future in a friendly manner with brilliant advice and practice. It worked for me and many others. Membership only cost about £25 a year.

Answer 5

You just got to keep reminding yourself before you go in that you deserve this job, that you are the best person for the job.
It is perfectly fine to be nervous, so dont worry about that, but you will probably find that the only time you freeze up is when you dont really know what your talking about, so you find it difficult to fluff your way through, this can work out ok, at least they know your not lying to them.

As long as you try your best to come across competant in what you do know, and make them believe your a quick learner and willing to take on the challenge of learning something new.

Good Luck

Answer 6

As an interviewer, we expect candidates to be nervous and always allow for this. Also, interviewers get nervous too when learning the skills involved. A great tip if you suffer from "dry-mouth" as a symptom of your nerves, gently bite your tongue (stress on gently!) and it causes you to salivate (but not dribble) allowing you to continue. Also, a brief pause before answering shows you're considering the question not just launching into some over-rehearsed spiel that doesn't tell us what we need to know.

Answer 7

Preperation is the key. Reahearse your answers to the top most asked questions:

What are your strenghts
What are your weaknesses
Why did are you leaving your current job
What do you enjoy the most
What experience do you have
Where do you expect to be in 3-5 years time
What do you know about the organisation

Always have a question or two for the interviewer - it shows interest. Things like:

Describe the company culture?
How long have you worked at the company ?
What do you enjoy about it ?

Good luck !!

Answer 8

Go through your Resume
Analyse your strengths and weaknesses
Try to focus on topics related to your strengths skip weaknesses
Never contradict
Speak with confidence even if you are wrong at times and accept that when u r caught
Be cheerful under all stressful situations never loose yr nerve
Enjoy the interview and company of the interviewing members
Show mannerism while entering office during interview and while leaving
Tune your mind to optimistic side of world
Accept out come with positive mind
All the best

Answer 9

Be as knowledgable as you can about the firm and the job. Be prepared to play up your strengths and your job skills; they obviously knwo your background, and they have called you in for an interview, so your experience has impressed them in some way. Don't get hung up on the fact that you're entering a different type of job; just focus on the skills you've acquired--that's what they're interested in. Also, have a list of questions you'd like to ask; that will show you're interested in the company.

Answer 10

Take a few deep breaths and hold them before you exhale, and as you do so say "Relax" out loud.
During the interview smile a lot and sit back not foreward.
Don't answer immediately to a question, think about it for a moment. Then answer simply and in short.
If you don't know the answer say so.....
Good luck.